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Prince Harry failed to appear in a London court Monday for the first day of his showdown against the UK’s Daily Mirror – defying the orders of the judge.
Harry’s lawyer David Sherborne told Judge Timothy Fancourt that the Duke of Sussex had flown from his Los Angeles home late Sunday after attending his daughter Lilibet’s second birthday, but could not attend court Monday.
“His travel arrangements are such and his security arrangements are such that it is a little bit tricky,” Sherborne told the judge.
“I’m a little surprised,” Fancourt replied, noting he had instructed Harry to be in court for the first day of the highly-anticipated case.
Harry was due to appear for the first of five pending legal cases against UK tabloids accused of hacking his phone and invading his privacy.
Andrew Green, a lawyer for Mirror Group Newspapers, said he was “deeply troubled” by Harry’s absence on the trial’s opening day.
He accused Harry’s legal team of wasting the court’s time, saying he had expected to question the prince about 33 articles that the royal maintains were based on unlawfully obtained material.
The 38-year-old prince had been scheduled to testify Tuesday, but his lawyer was told last week the duke should appear Monday in London’s High Court in case the opening statements ended before the end of the day.
